On The Insider: Britney's Bikini-Clad Top 10
BNET Business Network:
BNET
TechRepublic
ZDNet
TalkBack 3 of 26:
Next »
« Previous
Be wary of grand schemes
I don't see the "answer" as one platform or another. There are different conditions in poor areas regarding availability of electricity, connectivity, and support expertise that could make the ideal solution for a Brazilian rainforest dweller quite different from someone living in an impoverished area of Kabul. But I still question the premise mentioned in this article that

"Initiatives of this sort need serious consideration from everyone. Developing nations need to start teaching about technology early in schools."

If you are creating a generation of knowledge workers, perhaps this is true. But there are more basic literacy issues that need to be addressed within these populations. Plenty can be accomplished without "teaching technology." How much of the U.S. computer industry was founded by people who never had a PC at home? Just about anyone born before 1963. The Internet? Anyone born before about 1980.

A programmable graphing calculator is cheap, portable, and can get someone through their geometry homework while providing a platform for learning something about computers. Believe it or not, books still serve a purpose in learning. The exercise of providing computers to the world's poor is starting to sound like a dream of the ivory-tower elite.
Posted by: Rodney Davis   Posted on: 02/15/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
Reply to Story Reply to Message

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

Negroponte machine will likely fail ...  Prognosticator | 02/15/06
Negroponte machine is spot on...  jinko | 02/16/06
Be wary of grand schemes  Rodney Davis | 02/15/06
do you know how much books cost?  hipparchus2001 | 02/15/06
Not that much  Rodney Davis | 02/15/06
How Many Works Are In Project Gutenburg?  Edward Meyers | 02/16/06
Access  D. T. Schmitz | 02/15/06
P.S.  D. T. Schmitz | 02/15/06
Key issue  Anton Philidor | 02/15/06
What?  D. T. Schmitz | 02/15/06
Trickle down?  Rodney Davis | 02/15/06
Sorry but you are way out there this time Anton...  Linux User 147560 | 02/15/06
Computer mystique  Anton Philidor | 02/15/06
Barriers  D. T. Schmitz | 02/16/06
Non-issue, no locks to open  Still Lynn | 02/15/06
Guaranteed...  Feldwebel Wolfenstool | 02/15/06
Probably true.....  Laff | 02/16/06
corrections  hipparchus2001 | 02/15/06
A six-headed, six-user Linux system  bsmith_at_linuxtoys.org | 02/15/06
What good is cheap hardware if...  Nix_0S_Fan | 02/15/06
Compared to what?  Still Lynn | 02/15/06
What Pro is there to MS? not to start this up but....  el1jones | 02/16/06
Lack of apps NOT a problem in Linux  CobraA1 | 02/16/06
Third-World born and raised and I'd like to say...  The King's Servant | 02/16/06
Hey "The Kings Servant" is there a price point where a  Laff | 02/16/06
I spoke regarding the masses.  The King's Servant | 02/16/06

What do you think?

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

Meet Doc

  • Here to help you with your Document Management Needs
  • Doc is an enigma. Born to a Russian ballerina and a German electrical engineer, he grew up in various locations in the United States. He’s seen the insides of more brands, versions, and generations of printer and printer-related hardware than almost anyone.
  • To learn more about this mysterious figure check out his blog on ZDNet and his Workspace on TechRepublic. You’ll be glad you did.
  • Produced by
    ZDNet and